OBESITY AND SEMEN QUALITY. M. Cincik, M. Erman Akar, S. Bedir, A. R. Ergur, M. Yazici, B. Selam. GATA Haydarpasa Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey; Akdeniz Univ School of Medicine, Antalya, Turkey; Gulhane Military Medical Academy, Ankara, Turkey; GATA Haydarpasa Training and Resarch Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey; Yeditepe Univ School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.
OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare semen quality and serum reproductive hormones in obese and non obese men.
DESIGN: Prospective
MATERIALS AND METHODS: From April 2004 to April 2006, 21 obese men and 42 non obese men were included in the study. Men with body mass index(BMIW(kg)/L2(m)) of more than 35 were included in the obese group. Men with BMI between 20 and 25 were included in the non obese group. Semen volume, sperm concentration(in milliliters), sperm concentration(in million per milliliter), percentage of motile spermatozoa, percentage of spermatozoa with normal morphology, total sperm count (in million) and serum reproductive hormones were evaluated.
RESULTS: Serum FSH and testesterone levels were found to be significantly higher in the non obese control group. Serum steroid hormone binding globulin(SHBG) was significantly lower in the obese group which correlated with elevated bioavailability of both testesterone and estradiol in the obese group. Serum luteinizing hormone levels were no different suggesting that free testerone levels were unchanged. Percentages of normal spermatozoa were reduced significantly among men with high BMI(p0.05). Semen volume and percentage of motile spermatozoa was not effected by obesity.
CONCLUSION: Our findings confirmed that obesity was associated with reduced semen quality. If this is further confirmed with larger study groups, some cases of male infertility might be preventable.
